


Home Sweet Home

by Sirenzelf



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Dorks in Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Other, Protective Sweet Pea (Riverdale), Slow Burn, Soft Sweet Pea (Riverdale), Sweet Pea (Riverdale) Being an Asshole, adopted!reader, cousin!jughead, jones!reader, just a tiny bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenzelf/pseuds/Sirenzelf
Summary: When disaster hits in California, you're forced to move back to your childhood home: Riverdale. It was anything but exciting; the shops were on the verge of crumbling and the people were so incredibly dull. But the longer you stay, the more you start to realize that something is boiling underneath the surface... you really couldn't have chosen a worse time to come back.
Relationships: Sweet Pea (Riverdale) & Reader, Sweet Pea (Riverdale)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Home Sweet Home

Moving away from California was the last thing you wanted to do. It was your home- your safe place. So many good things happened there and now... it was miles away. The trees blurred into a green blob, right up until you decided to focus on one. Then it seemed to go in slow motion. A sigh escaped your lips, eyes flickering up to the rearview mirror. The backseat- along with the trunk- was filled with your bags. It left little room to actually use the mirror for what it’s meant for. But then again, no one was rushing to stay at the ‘town with pep’. (It was anything but.)

“It’ll be fine.” Your mom’s hand came to rest on your own. “Think of this as a fresh start.”

“I didn’t want a fresh start.” 

There was a pause. The words had flown out faster than you could stop them. They left a bad taste in your mouth- complaining wasn’t something you liked to do. This whole move wasn’t your mom’s fault; people were shit and liked to shit on others. You quickly added, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know what you’re feeling. But I really do think you’ll be happier here.” 

As another silence hung over you both, you couldn’t help but wonder if that was true. Your life back in California was like a dream. You had a good group of friends, a best friend, and a place where you felt good and safe. It was a scene ripped right from the movie screen. Sure, there were a couple of problems, but when wasn't there? If you stayed, maybe... you could have fixed them better. But heading to Riverdale gave you a whole new perspective and you couldn’t say you liked it. 

The sun beat down your back as you pulled the rest of the suitcases out of the trunk. You could already feel the sweat building up on your neck. Even in Riverdale you couldn’t beat Summer’s heat- go figure. With three bags in your left and a suitcase in your right, you stepped back to let your mom shut the trunk. Your eyes wandered over to the park’s sign, dingy from years of standing. 

Sunnyside Trailer Park. Low Rates- No Pets- Swimming Pool.

A painted sun beamed with yellow and red rays right above the words. A line, the same shade of red, ran right through the second set below. 

Many times you’ve been here through the years and you couldn’t say anything has changed. A small smile spread across your face. The outside of the trailers were tinged with dust and dirt. Only one mattered, though, and that one was just a few feet away. A little wooden staircase leads up to the door. Trash bins were lined up on the left, while an isolated box stood on the other. It was familiar- so familiar you already knew what the inside looked like. But it wasn’t home. 

You walked up to the box and lifted a lawn gnome, grimacing at the rust on it. It was such an obvious place to hide a key. Your mother walked up behind you, groaning about how she should have thrown away more shoes. ( “You never know if I need them,” she’d said.) 

You trudged up the stairs and opened the door, settling your luggage to the side. To your right was the living room, set with all the essentials. To the left was the kitchen. You purse your lips before turning. 

“Hey, mom,” you called out. “You think uncle would mind if I munched on something?” 

Her voice echoed from the bathroom. “I don’t think so! Just munch, though. I think we should go to Pop’s and get something.” 

With that, you practically ran towards the kitchen. The cool air of the fridge hit you, a sigh of relief escaping. The feeling quickly fell as you saw nothing in there that would satisfy your hunger. You’d thought the fridge would be stocked considering your cousin was such a foodie. How did he get by like this? You closed the door, puffing out at the disappointment. Guess you’d have to wait for diner food. “So, uh.. when exactly are we going there?”

You watched your mom round the corner. “Soon. Uncle will be here soon.”

And, low and behold, your uncle walked through the door within the next few minutes. He wore a tired grin as he opened his arms toward you. Stepping away from the fridge, you wrapped your arms around him. His stubble scratched the top of your head. You murmured a little hello and your uncle returned it. That smile was still on his face as he greeted your mom. 

“It’s good to see you, Forsythe.” 

“Why don’t you ever use FP?” He groaned, holding her at arm's length. “I hate that name.” 

“Well, it's your name.” She rolled her eyes, patting his shoulder. Your mom was the older one out of the two and she made sure everyone knew. 

Despite the complaints from FP, you knew he wasn’t that bothered by it. Family was everything with you guys, even when you lived across the country. The constant contact with each other over the years kept that bond strong. It made you wish being here was under different circumstances. 

The two adults shared a look before nodding. Your eyes shifted to the half empty coffee pot on the stove, left untouched since the morning. Of course your uncle knew about what happened in California. You figured the talk would happen later- out of earshot for you. A part of you hoped you’d be included, while another didn’t want to talk about it. 

A buzzing noise reached your ears. You fumbled to get your phone from the back of your pocket. The screen lit up, soliciting a smile at the text. B/F Name, your best friend, had been texting you since you left. You missed her a lot. Never have you been so far away. Biting your lip, your fingers hovered over the keyboard as you responded. Maybe you would call her later if she wasn’t busy. 

“Y/n, fix yourself. We’re gonna leave.” 

You nodded without looking up at your mom and moved to the only bathroom in the trailer. The text was sent with a ‘ttyl’. 

Looking in the mirror, you locked eyes with your reflection. Bags hung under your eyes. They weren’t noticeable unless you were trying to spot them. You ran a hand over your face, taking a deep breath. Fresh start- that’s what this was. A new page to write whatever you wanted. You clicked your tongue, then sighed. 

_____________

Make the most of this, you thought, and nodded at your reflection before throwing the door open. 

The smell of burgers hit you as soon as the three of you entered. Despite its years, Pop’s looked as good as ever. The floor was checkered with black and grey, the booths a bright red with silver padding covering the top. On the walls were several decorations, many being old photos. Even the people here fit the fifties-esque aesthetic of the diner. 

At the register, your mom stood with your uncle, waving you over. A smile graced her lips, her hand reaching out to place itself on your back. Behind the metal table was a big man wearing an apron and a hat that had Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe printed on both. His smile reflected your mom’s. It took you a second before recognizing him. 

“Well, if it isn’t little Y/n L/n. Look at you all grown up.” His voice was as warm as an apple pie fresh out of the oven. 

You returned his smile, waving at Pop before shoving it back into the pocket of your jeans. “Hi. Been a few years,” you said. 

“It certainly has. I’m glad to see you back.” 

Pop nodded to both you and your mom before ushering you to find a seat. You followed the two adults down the line, feeling a bit awkward as you trailed behind. You could feel stares of other customers as you passed by. You kept your eyes trained ahead. 

Pop had come by to take your orders and within that time, you found that your uncle worked there in his free time. 

“So I’m hearing free milkshakes?” You grinned, eyebrows shooting up. 

Your mom snorted. “Or maybe she could get a job and pay for them.” 

FP nodded, pointing a finger at her. You gave them both accusatory glances. 

“I’d like an extra hand around here.”

“It’s not like I wouldn’t try to get hired, but we just moved here! I need a little time to adjust.” 

You slumped against the seat, and picked up a fry. Working at Pop’s didn’t sound like such a bad thing- you had at least a little experience under your belt. You glanced around the diner again, eyeing the empty tables. It shouldn’t be too hard. Turning towards your uncle, you continued, “I just need to get familiar with the place again. Adjust to life in Riverdale first before diving into being the town’s little go-getter.” 

FP snickered. “Alright, kid.” His eyes flickered to the door as the bell attached to it jingled. “Now’s your time to start getting familiar.” 

At his words, you swiveled around to meet Jughead. He looked a little stunned to see you. A second passed before a grin stretched across his face. You made your way toward him. Your arms wrapped around his middle with a squeeze.

As you pulled away, a group started to push past the doors and stand behind Jughead. You nudge your cousin, then step to the side. 

“Jug,” you hissed when he didn’t follow suit. You gestured to the group, and when you made eye contact with the tall one you gave a smile. “Sorry for him.”

The one at the head narrowed his eyes at you. He crossed his leather clad arms over his torso, and you noticed that they all had the same jacket on. Jughead took a step back towards them, glancing at the tallest before switching back to you. It was then that you saw the same jacket on him that everyone else had. A small “oh” formed on your mouth as your brain connected the dots. 

“Are you guys having some sort of club meeting?”

Jughead scoffed, shaking his head at your ridiculous question. “No, it’s…” 

As he trailed off, his eyes shifted to something behind you. 

“A.. project.”

Right, you thought. A project for what?

You wanted to ask. It was so obvious that he was lying about whatever this was. Yet your lips didn’t move. And you knew why. There was a lot that happened back in your old town; stuff that you’d rather keep in the dark. Even from Jughead whom you were close with. Maybe this lie was his way of telling you he wanted to keep this to himself. So you’ll let it slide… for now. 

Two of the others looked to Jughead. The third one stared hard at you-- the tall one that you’d consider cute if he didn’t have such a mean mug. To avoid his gaze, you turned your back and waved the little group over. You all squished into a booth in the corner of the diner. Menus were passed around as Jughead grinned. 

“Let’s eat!”


End file.
